# Player with Maxed-Out Talent, Episode 19

This place, the first crossroad, is called ‘Nephras’s Path.’

According to the settings of the tutorial dungeon, ‘Nephras’ is the name of one of the ancient gods, and at the first crossroad, a ‘ring’ that the god cherished is dropped. The drop rate is entirely random. With some luck, it could be obtained in one go, but otherwise, it could take a very long time.

‘Anyway, the total time it takes to acquire the seven items seems to be fairly similar.’

If it takes a long time at the first crossroad, then the second one might take comparatively less time.

‘Is this the average?’

It didn’t seem particularly long or particularly quick.

[You have acquired Nephras’s Ring.]

I obtained Nephras’s Ring. My business here is done. Without hesitation, I turned around to leave.

“Brother, over there. There are still Black Yaks in the corner… Aren’t we going to hunt them?”

“Nope. Black Yaks don’t give much XP.”

The principle of playing is to achieve maximum efficiency in the minimum amount of time. Black Yaks don’t offer a good cost-benefit ratio. They aren’t terribly hard to catch, but the amount of XP they give relative to the time is too little.

“Let’s head to the second path.”

The order didn’t really matter. Still, there is an unspoken strategy that has formed naturally. Numerous people had cleared the ‘Seoul Station Dungeon’ before, and a common approach had emerged. From the first to the seventh, the usual method is to proceed sequentially.

Leaving the first path, I entered the second crossroad.

[You have entered the second crossroad of Seoul Station Dungeon, ‘Dugo’s Path.’]

* * *

Ma Sanghyun and Seo Ju-Hwan’s party entered the first crossroad. Seo Ju-Hwan was amazed.

“Wow…”

The corpses of Black Yaks were in sight, with only their horns hewn off, suggesting that the horns were a weak point. There were quite a number of Black Yak carcasses. At least thirty, it seemed.

“It looks like someone has already passed through here.”

Someone had already traveled the first crossroad.

“There’s a Black Yak at the end there.”

There was still a Black Yak remaining. What could this mean?

“We don’t see any player’s body. That must mean they escaped.”

According to their knowledge, only two players had entered before them. It wasn’t strange to think the person who killed these Black Yaks had fled due to low health.

“It’s certain they ran away,” Seo Ju-Hwan said.

“For now, as a warm-up. Shall we take them down?”

They began their own battle.

* * *

Kim Hyukjin too hunted ‘Black Yaks’ at the second crossroad. At the second crossroad, ‘Dugo’s Path,’ ‘Dugo’s Necklace’ was dropped.

[You have acquired Dugo’s Necklace.]

Kim Hyukjin shrugged his shoulders.

‘I guess I got lucky this time.’

He had only slain four Black Yaks, and the item dropped. Kang Sunhwa was starting to notice.

“So, we’re heading to the third crossroad next?”

It’s not important to hunt Black Yak. It meant obtaining those items. She was starting to understand the importance of ‘key point items.’

“Let’s go.”

[Seoul Station Dungeon’s third crossroad, ‘Deransha’s Path,’ has been activated.]

A slightly different monster appeared on Deransha’s Path. They looked overall similar to Black Yaks but were purple in color. These creatures, named ‘Purple Yaks,’ were one or two levels higher than the Black Yaks.

“Sunhwa, you take the lead.”

“M-Me?”

“Yeah.”

Kang Sunhwa hesitantly walked forward, with Kim Hyukjin, a small figure himself, following her. Then, something flew toward them.

“Ahhh!”

Something hit Kang Sunhwa’s forehead and then dropped to the ground with a thud.

“It’s okay. It won’t kill you.”

“Wh-What was that?”

“A horn.”

“A horn?”

“Yeah. The horn shot by a Purple Yak. They’re kind of like ranged attackers.”

That’s why I put Sunhwa up front.

“You’re sturdier than me. Better you get hit than me.”

“Brother! Kyaa!”

“Don’t worry. You’re not dead, right?”

Indeed, the Purple Yak’s horn couldn’t cause any damage to her.

Once again, horns from ‘Purple Yaks’ were shot at them. Kang Sunhwa, not yet fully accustomed to the play, screamed. But there was no actual impact on her body. Then, notifications rang for both of them.

[You have hunted a Purple Yak.]

[Experience points acquired.]

[You have earned +13 COINS.]

Kang Sunhwa was somewhat flabbergasted. She had passively taken hits, and suddenly, they had hunted a Purple Yak. As they continued to walk forward without understanding what happened, they saw the corpses of ‘Purple Yaks.’

“They die after shooting their horns twice.”

Kang Sunhwa then realized.

“Did you use me as a shield?”

“Yeah. You are a tank, after all.”

“But still…”

“Well. If one of us were to die, it’d be you, not me.”

Kim Hyukjin playfully smiled.

“Come on, let’s go. Our excellent tank.”

To a player, age and gender don’t matter. Class and stats. Guardians and skills. That’s all that’s important. Sunhwa’s ‘tank abilities’ were far superior to his own. If players had a ‘total score,’ his would be much higher overall, but Sunhwa was definitely better when it came to ‘taking damage.’

Kang Sunhwa appeared slightly moved by this strange acknowledgment.

“Am I excellent?”

“More than I thought?”

She seemed pleased by the compliment, but then she asked with a dubious expression,

“I know I’m a tank, but…”

It was unfamiliar to her. At 14 years old and of such small stature, she was being used as a shield by her brother. Can she really trust him? Of course, she did trust him, but she still felt a bit uncertain.

Kim Hyukjin chuckled.

“Snap out of it. You’re not a 14-year-old kid. This is the dungeon. You are a player.”

The play requires everyone to do what they do best. It wasn’t just because he didn’t want to get hit by a Purple Yak’s horn that he had put Sunhwa in front. He had recognized Sunhwa’s talent early on. If he wanted to keep her and continue together, she needed to get used to these kinds of experiences, too. He said it jokingly to lighten the mood, but it was no joke. In fact, putting her in the lead like this was better for Sunhwa’s growth.

‘Even if I know all the strategies. The play is definitely dangerous.’

With the inherent danger, one must be committed to their roles. No, one must excel in them. That’s right.

[You have acquired Deransha’s Bracelet.]

At the third crossroad, ‘Deransha’s Path,’ the ‘Deransha’s Bracelet’ dropped. Three out of the seven pathway items had been secured.

“Are we just going to leave the rest of the Purple Yaks?”

“Yeah.”

“The Purple Yaks seem to give a lot of XP…”

“I know.”

He knew. The Purple Yaks indeed offered substantial experience points. With a sturdy tank like Sunhwa, they were easy to defeat.

“Is there a reason we’re leaving them be?”

Of course.

“Do you think we’re the only ones who entered here?”

Kang Sunhwa didn’t understand his statement. From her perspective, Kim Hyukjin knew too much and was an ‘adult,’ and it was natural for her not to understand everything an adult says.

Kim Hyukjin shrugged his shoulders and moved on.

“We need to leave them so the small fry catch up slowly.”

If everything went the same as in the past, Seo Ju-Hwan would surely enter.

* * *

Ma Sanghyun and Seo Ju-Hwan’s party finished off all the Black Yaks on the first crossroad.

“There doesn’t seem to be anything special here.”

By the time Kim Hyukjin had obtained ‘Nephras’s Ring,’ there was nothing else to gain from the first crossroad but rewards for hunting ‘Black Yak.’

Seo Ju-Hwan frowned.

“They’re very tough, but they give only a little XP.”

Ma Sanghyun nodded. Black Yaks had the worst cost-effectiveness.

“If we didn’t know that horns were their weakness, we would have struggled a lot.”

“That’s true. He’s so fierce for a tutorial terminator. Getting hit by that punch would take me out in one hit,” Seo Ju-Hwan jested.

“Looks like we’ve got them all here. Should we move on to another crossroad?”

No one considered the solo playstyle similar to Kim Hyukjin. Not long ago, they had witnessed the terror in Jongno. A tutorial field where over 140,000 out of 150,000 players had perished. With such a memory, Ma Sanghyun and Seo Ju-Hwan didn’t even consider moving separately.

[You have entered the second crossroad of Seoul Station Dungeon, ‘Dugo’s Path.’]

The second crossroad wasn’t strewn with many corpses, at most about four. The presence of corpses meant someone had hunted there. While many Black Yaks were still alive, there were no player bodies. Ma Sanghyun sensed something odd.

‘What’s this?’

Did the player from the first crossroad enter the second and then run away again? It was hard to judge. Seo Ju-Hwan suggested,

“Let’s just hunt them.”

So they hunted all the Black Yaks left on the second crossroad. By then, Kim Hyukjin at the fourth crossroad ‘Athenia’s Path,’ had acquired ‘Athenia’s Necklace.’ At the fifth crossroad ‘Genis’s Path,’ he had secured ‘Genis’s Club.’

Kim Hyukjin was now at the sixth crossroad while Ma Sanghyun and Seo Ju-Hwan’s party entered the third. They too started to catch on. Seo Ju-Hwan’s expression soured.

“They didn’t run away. They left it behind.”

“I think so too.”

“Probably there are key point items necessary for clearing the dungeon.”

Seo Ju-Hwan was a bit annoyed. He didn’t know if someone had deliberately left the monsters or not, but the idea that someone was far ahead of them bothered him.

‘Who on Earth could it be?’

Even with the Tutorial Terminator Ma Sanghyun beside him, who would dare to be ahead? Moreover, leaving small fry behind.

Ma Sanghyun declared,

“Let’s just ignore the monsters left behind and move to another crossroad.”

Meanwhile, Kim Hyukjin had obtained ‘Victoria’s Shield’ at the sixth crossroad. Ma Sanghyun and Seo Ju-Hwan’s party quickly followed.

Eventually, at the seventh crossroad, everyone met.

* * *

Before entering the seventh crossroad, I was already aware that others would soon follow.

‘They’re later than I thought.’

I expected them to catch up around the sixth path, yet they were delayed. Definitely, they still seemed like novice players.

‘After all, this is all completely new to them.’

They didn’t have the strategy guide memorized like I did. The Seoul Station Dungeon. I seem to have watched the strategy videos on YouTube more than thirty times. From the start, their condition was different from mine.

At the seventh crossroad, I encountered the other players.

‘Martial King Ma Sanghyun.’

I immediately activated my Sensory Eye.

──────────

[Player]

Name: Ma Sanghyun

Age: 20

Level: 17

Class: –

Guardian: –

State: Welcoming/Surprised

Disposition: Neutral/Just/Benevolent/Timid

Summary: A magpie that repays kindness

+ No class has been selected.

+ No guardian has been selected.

+ Dispositions and traits/summaries are only indicative, and may change depending on the situation.

+ Sensory Eye proficiency is not high, so detailed information cannot be accessed.

──────────

Level 17, which is a very respectable status. However, I was a bit baffled.

‘What kind of disposition is that?’

Neutral and just are understandable, but how can it be both ‘benevolent’ and ‘timid’?

Is my Sensory Eye broken? Unpredictable things. I don’t think the Sensory Eye’s analysis is wrong. Maybe in some aspects, he’s a great benevolent figure, and in other aspects, he has his timid parts. The summary is ‘a magpie that repays kindness.’ Not bad.

‘But the important thing right now is not Ma Sanghyun.’

Looking over to the man who was wearing a subtle smile at me, I knew of him as well.

‘He might look young…’

As young as the Martial King. That man was young, too.

──────────

[Player]

Name: Seo Ju-Hwan

Age: 21

Level: 16

Class: –

Guardian: –

State: Lewd/Displeased

Disposition: Evil/Cruel/Pretentious

Summary: A cruel paedophile

+ No class has been selected.

+ No guardian has been selected.

+ Dispositions and traits/summaries are only indicative, and may change depending on the situation.

+ Sensory Eye proficiency is not high, so detailed information cannot be accessed.

──────────

At the very beginning of play, shortly after leaving the tutorial field, his nature seemed to have already begun showing its yellow tint.

‘We meet here.’

It was expected.

‘Seo Ju-Hwan.’

In the near future, there is a massive faction known as ‘Nightmare’ or ‘Mare.’ Commonly referred to as ‘Demon Lord’s Army.’ Seo Ju-Hwan is one of the famous action commanders of this ‘Demon Lord’s Army.’

‘The summary is disgusting.’

This is the first ‘evil (惡)’ attribute player I’m facing. He hadn’t completely turned yet. Caution is necessary.

‘If Seo Ju-Hwan moves as I anticipate…’

Today, I may end up in a life-or-death fight with Seo Ju-Hwan. I’ve been predicting this situation and preparing for it.

‘If we really have to fight… the one who will be risking his life won’t be me but you, Seo Ju-Hwan.’

Then Seo Ju-Hwan spoke his first words. His opening statement was quite unexpected.